SpongeBob's Christmas Coral
by Sarge Ray
Summary: SpongeBob and friends retell Charles Dickens' classic novel when Ebenezer Krabs is visited by three ghosts to learn the true meaning of Christmas.
1. Chapter 1

SpongeBob's Christmas Coral

By Dimensiondude

Co-Written by SOLMaster

_French Narrator: Ah, Christmastime again in Bikini Bottom. And at the Krusty Krab, people are jovial and giddy...well, except this guy._

Squidward blandly held out a tray of food, which consisted of Christmas Tree-shaped fries and the traditional Krusty Krab dish: a Krabby Patty. The big-nosed squid was also wearing a Santa hat, though he hardly looked joyful.

"Thank you for choosing the Krusty Krab. Happy Holidays." Squidward said, blandly.

"Psst…" came a voice from the kitchen.

"WHAT?" Squidward asked, grouchily.

"You forgot the Holiday special." SpongeBob stated. He was also wearing a Santa hat, but he looked a little more jovial than Squidward.

Squidward sighed, reached over to a cup besides the cash register, and pulled out a candy cane. "Here's your free candy cane, sir." Squidward finished, wishing he was anywhere but here right now.

"Thanks." The customer said before walking off to his table.

SpongeBob gave a cheerful sigh as he moved next to Squidward. "Don't you just love Christmas, Squidward? The laughter, the joy, the merriment?"

Squidward gave SpongeBob an uneasy look, then answered sourly, "The only joy I feel about Christmas is that it's the one day of the year where I don't have to come to work."

SpongeBob laughed and replied, "But nothing compares to the joy of spending everyday at the Krusty Krab."

Both turned at the sound of an opening door to see two familiar old men enter the restaurant. One had a big nose and the other had a starfish on his nose.

"Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy!" SpongeBob shouted in joy as he rushed over to them. "Can I get you anything, sirs?"

"No thanks, kid." Barnacle replied, not too fond of the fanatical sponge. "We're just here because Shady Shoals is forcing all us old folk to go out in the cold to collect money for the poor."

"So, would you mind making one small donation, my good man?" Mermaid Man asked, holding a small tin can and jingling its contents slightly.

At the word 'donation', who should pop out of his office than the owner of the Krusty Krab himself, Mr. Krabs?

"Donate to the poor?" Mr. Krabs asked the two, "Why? What have the poor ever done for me?"

Barnacle Boy and Mermaid Man stared in shock, though Mermaid Man's stare was a little questionable on the "shock" part. After a while, an abnormally flat look replaced Barnacle Boy's surprised one in no time flat.

"I told you this was the wrong place to start." he groaned, then turned to walk out the door. Oddly enough, Mermaid Man was still standing there, staring at Mr. Krabs with apparent shock.

"COME ON!" Barnacle Boy said, grabbing Mermaid Man's arm and dragging him away.

"Wait! WAIT! I haven't made my order!!!" Mermaid Man screamed as his young ward dragged him away.

Mr. Krabs continued to stand there with a grouchy look. "Bleh, good riddance."

SpongeBob stared with a confused look until he said, "Mr. Krabs? Was it really right to kick them out without giving them anything?"

His boss just turned to him and said, "If there's one thing I can't stand on Christmas, it's these folks goin' around and asking me to hand over me money to others."

"Oh, but Mr. Krabs, it's always a kind thing to give to those less fortunate than you and I." SpongeBob mentioned with a large smile. "The poor need Christmas, too, you know."

Mr. Krabs poked SpongeBob on the chest as he spoke, "If the poor want Christmas, then they should quit actin' poor and make their own money instead of askin' good ol' Krabs to give them some of what they worked so hard in life to make."

When Mr. Krabs turned away and made for his office, SpongeBob just stared in confusion until he and the others felt a rumble. But it turned out to be Mr. Krabs' daughter, Pearl.

"Daddy!" she shouted in a loud voice.

"Aye," Mr. Krabs asked as he walked over contently to his daughter. "What is it, sweetie?"

Pearl replied excitedly, "I know what I want for Christmas! The ultra popular and coral designer snow boots." She showed him a picture of purple boots with flower designs from a magazine. "Everyone's getting a pair."

"Oh, not this again..." Mr. Krabs groaned, then beckoned Pearl to follow him. "Spongebob, Squidward, wait here while I see how much money I can part with..." Soon after, he scuttled off into his office, his whale of a daughter bouncing behind him.

Sponge and Squid stared for a while, until Spongebob asked, "How long will this last?"

"I'll give it five minutes tops." Squidward answered. Squidward turned, then went wide-eyed as he realized that Spongebob was gone. "Spongebob?"

One blink of an eye later, Spongebob was back, looking more giddy than usual. "Sorry, Squidward, I was just giving a small donation to my heroes."

Squidward gave the sponge a flat look, then stated in a tone to match his expression, "You amaze me..."

By that time, Pearl burst from Mr. Krabs' office crying a geyser of tears. A second after she belted out the door, Mr. Krabs wiped sweat off his forehead (whether he had a forehead or not, nobody knew).

"Whew...THAT was a hassle." Krabs groaned, "Now, back to business boys. Meet me in me office..."

"This can't bode well..." Squidward said as he took a seat in Krabs' office.

_And in case you feel ripped off, be patient. Things'll get to the Christmas Carol you know and love soon enough._

_D-Dude_


	2. Chapter 2

Once SpongeBob and Squidward were both seated in front of Mr. Krabs' desk with SpongeBob looking anxious and Squidward looking impatient, Mr. Krabs began, "Well, boys, you know what time of the year it is."

"Oh yes, Mr. Krabs," SpongeBob answered happily. "It's Christmas tomorrow: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year."

"Aye lad," Mr. Krabs replied as he looked at a large stack of coins on the side of his desk, "And the time of the year where I can get rich."

"And just what does that have to do with us?" Squidward asked.

Mr. Krabs answered, "Well, I'm gonna need you tomorrow, boys. I'm opening the Krusty Krab on Christmas Day!"

"WHAT?!" Squidward asked in shock as well as SpongeBob, only the sponge had a smile on his face.

"That's right, boys." Mr. Krabs said, not noticing their expressions. "I figured I'd make even more money if I leave the restaurant open even on Christmas."

"You can't do this to me, Mr. Krabs!" Squidward yelled, getting up from his seat. "I work 364 days a year at this dump, and on my one day off, you're making me come to work anyway?"

"Oh, but Christmas at the Krusty Krab is a dream come true." SpongeBob told Squidward happily. "What could be better?" But then SpongeBob seemed to realize what he was talking about. "Though, I did promise Gary I would give him his special fruitcake flavored snail-nip…and me and Patrick were gonna exchange presents tomorrow…Not to mention me and Sandy were gonna bake gingerbread cookies, too."

SpongeBob's former excitement seemed to die there and then, and he turned to look at his boss. "Frankly, Mr. Krabs, I don't think I can come to work tomorrow on Christmas."

"Well, you are and that's the end of that!" Without any further ado, Mr. Krabs pushed them both out of his office. "Come in tomorrow OR YOU'RE FIRED!"

When he slammed the door, Squidward glared at it like he was still looking at his boss. "Why does Mr. Krabs have to act like such a Scrooge?"

SpongeBob turned to Squidward with curiosity as he asked, "Squidward, what's a Scrudge?"

"Scrooge, not Scrudge!" Squidward snapped, "A scrooge is someone who acts like a cheapskate on Christmas."

"Ohhhh…" SpongeBob said, finally understanding. "So if acting cheap on Christmas makes Mr. Krabs a Scrooge, what does that make him every other day?"

Squidward frowned until he dully answered, "A Scrudge."

SpongeBob laughed his all-too-cheesy, dolphin-like laugh, only stopping to speak. "Now I get it. Thanks Squidward."

--

The rest of the day was duller than usual for the Krusty Krab employees. On most days, Squidward looked forward to when his shift ended...but not today. He spent the rest of his shift thinking, "I REALLY wish I worked somewhere else right now".

Such was not the same for Spongebob, who was both excited and bummed on having to work on Christmas Day. His life revolved around fry cook work, but he made all those promises to Gary, Patrick, and Sandy that he wouldn't be able to keep.

Either way, it was a lose-lose situation for both.

Finally, six o'clock came and Squarepants and Tentacles trudged their way to the doors. For now, they were united in bum-ness...

"Good night, me boys! Merry Christmas!" Mr. Krabs called as he, too, went his own way, laughing his traditional pirate laugh.

Ignoring each other for the full evening, Sponge and Squid trudged home. On reaching their doorways, they stared at the door, knowing they would be out it first thing in the morning.

Squidward sighed. "Well, Spongebob...never thought I'd say this, but...good night."

"You, too, Squidward. You, too..." Spongebob mumbled.

Spongebob slumped down on his couch, remote in hand, and was currently watching the current Christmas Special that was on TV.

"And now we give you Frosty the Snowfish..." the announcer advertised.

At that point, Gary, Spongebob's beloved snail, slithered over to his side. On seeing the look on his owner's face, the snail mewed, catching his attention.

"Hey, Gary..." Spongebob said, unenthusiastically.

"Meow?" Gary asked.

"Oh, I just can't get that fruitcake snailnip, that's all." Spongebob responded with just as much enthusiasm as he did before: none.

Gary's eyes widened. "Meow?"

"I'll be busy." Spongebob answered.

"Meow?"

"No, Patrick didn't forget how to eat again." Spongebob corrected, "I have to work at the Krusty Krab on Christmas. I won't have time to do stuff with you, Sandy, or Patrick..."

Gary looked shocked, which was odd for a snail, then slithered up the chair to rest in Spongebob's arms. The snail's eyes dropped in a sad manner and the meow he emitted was just as similar.

"I know, Gary. I know..." Spongebob said, stroking his snail's shell.

Off in the Easter Island Head that Squidward called home, he was undergoing a similar thought pattern, though his was a little more…vengeful.

Said squid growled as he paced his bedroom floor angrily in his nightgown. "That cheapskate, Krabs, making me work on Christmas…and worst of all, he's making me work on Christmas with SpongeBob. When I see him…" he caught himself, then asked in a defeated manner, "Oh, who am I kidding?"

He crossed the room to his bed to lay down, trying his best to get some comfortable sleep. His trusty clarinet, Clarie, laid right beside him, and he spoke to it like the woodwind instrument was some kind of friend.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to have that solo with you, Clarie. Work will call. Now to get the only few hours of sleep I'll get." He yawned and went to sleep while muttering. "If only someone would teach that Scrooge a lesson…"

Surprisingly, all that went through Clarie's mind was "Oh, not again".

_Here it comes…next time._


	3. Chapter 3

Mr. Krabs spat out the mouthwash he had been swishing, then looked at his teeth. Pearly as ever.

"Ah, this Christmas is gonna make this ol' crab's wallet nice and fat." Mr. Krabs said, giddily, "Time to call it a night, then…"

Mr. Krabs hopped into bed, pulled up the covers, then hummed himself to sleep at the tune of "Jingle Bells".

That is…until he suddenly wound up in dreamland…and a dream that would be out of this world.

_(Insert Dream Wave here...)  
_

Bikini Bottom: 1843

French Narrator: Jacob Squidley was dead: dead as a doornail. I have to tell you this so that nothing will seem out of place…well, it probably will anyway. Welcome to Spongebob's Christmas Coral.

It was a snowy Christmas Eve in nineteenth-century Bikini Bottom, but the town was unlike it was every other day. At the Krusty Krab, which seemed like something in a classic Dickens novel.

SpongeBob, who was dressed in an old green jacket and long brown pants, was throwing a lit match under a frying pan to try and make a small fire, but much to his disappointment, he only got a tiny flicker.

SpongeBob ran over and grabbed another piece of coal, but before he could do anything, he heard a familiar voice say, "Mr. CratchitPants!"

SpongeBob yelped and slowly turned his head to see Mr. Krabs dressed in a blue coat, scarf, and top hat. "Yes…Mr. Ebenezer Krabs?" He asked nervously.

"Just what do you think you're doin', lad?"

SpongeBob answered with a smile, "Just making a bigger fire so the patties will cook faster."

Mr. Krabs knocked the coal out of SpongeBob's hand with his cane. "Ye already used two coals yesterday. That stuff doesn't come cheap you know."

"But Mr. Krabs, I just want to keep warm..." Mr. CratchitPants reasoned.

"It hasn't been warm since Jacob Squidley was keelhauled, and it ain't gonna be warm come summertime." Krabs stated, scribbling away at a piece of parchment, his expression unwavering from flat.

Whilst Mr. Krabs scribbled away, the door opened and, for a while, SpongeBob didn't know who entered…until he looked down. It was small, shaped like a green jellybean, and had a single eye. He, too, was clad in an attire suitable for a nineteenth-century man. It was Fred Plankton, Ebenezer Krabs' nephew...though it was kinda hard to believe they were related.

"Hey, ol' Uncle Krabs. Merry Christmas!" Plankton greeted.

Krabs gave Plankton a shifty look, then said the all-too-traditional Scrooge line...

"Christmas? Bah! Humbug!" The crustacean then proceeded to continue to his scrawling.

"Whaddya mean 'humbug'?" Plankton asked, his tone hinting a demand.

"Uh, Mr. Plankton? Humbug is what one says when they have no Christmas Spirit." CratchitPants filled in.

"Oh." Plankton said, then got to business, "Tell me you didn't mean to say that, Uncle Krabs."

"Every syllable of it." Krabs grunted.

"But Uncle Krabs, Christmas is a time for everyone." Plankton explained.

"You got that right, Fred." Krabs replied, "A time for everyone to be payin' bills! What's the point of livin' when you can't be rich? If everyone weren't busy celebratin' Christmas, they'd be more like me."

"You can't be serious about that." Plankton said with a weak smile. "Christmas isn't all about the money. It's a time to spend with people who care about you."

"Well said, Fred." CratchitPants added with a smile which earned him a glare from Krabs that caused the sponge to run his finger across his lips, gesturing he would zip it.

"Anyway, anyone who believes in the term 'Merry Christmas' should be boiled in his own pudding." At Krabs' statement, SpongeBob looked a little frightened, "And buried with a stake of holly through his heart!" This caused the sponge to pale a little.

"Well, there's no pleasing you, is there?" Plankton asked, "But at least lemme give somethin' to ya. I've been keeping it in my secret compartment..." Plankton reached into his pocket, then pulled out a Christmas Wreath that was FAR larger than his own body. "Ta-da!"

Mr. CratchitPants looked ready to accept the gift, but Ebenezer Krabs beat him there. He picked Plankton up by the antennae and brought him to eye level.

"I said 'BAH! HUMBUG'!" Krabs growled, then made for the door.

"HEY! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME! I'M YOUR NEPHEW!!!" Plankton argued, then Mr. Krabs opened the door and flicked him out. "I ALSO WENT TO COLLEGE!" Plankton went flying out the door to land in another building with a resounding CRASH. "Ouch."

SpongeBob watched for a while, then asked, "Mr. Krabs, can I have a raise?"

"No." Krabs said, quickly, before returning to his work.

"Okay!" SpongeBob said with a smile and a wave. "I'll just…get back to work, sir."

Before Mr. Krabs could continue working for a minute, there was another knock at the door and he proceeded to answer it. It was Mermaid Man and Barnacle boy dressed in winter clothing and, like their real-world selves, holding a tin cup.

"What do you old geezers want?" Mr. Krabs bitterly asked.

"You're one to talk." Barnacle Boy quipped.

"We're collecting poor for the money." Mermaid Man answered, holding out a tin cup.

"That's money for the POOR, you old coot!" Barnacle Boy grumbled. The "young" ward sighed, then asked in the kindest voice he could, "So care to spare some coins and make our job easier?"

"Why in the halibut should I be given' money to the poor?" Mr. Krabs asked angrily. "I earned that money to make me rich, not to give away to any poor."

Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy just stared in oddly, though Mermaid Man's was probably just staring off into space. "But…" Barnacle Boy tried to say.

But Mr. Krabs just grabbed the wreath Plankton gave him and tossed it at them. "Give this to the poor and get out of me sight, you moochers!"

SpongeBob winced when the door was slammed and he muttered, "I think he overdid it…"

"You say something, boy?"

"Nothing!" SpongeBob quickly responded.

But Mr. Krabs just answered, "One more crack outta you and I'll deduct your pay."

Outside, Mermaid Man had the wreath stuck on his head like a hat. He looked up into and smiled in a senile kind of way. "Ooh, is this the new fashion trend?"

Barnacle Boy could only sigh as he and the old man walked off for the next house. Things weren't going as easily as he had hoped.

_Now, ON WITH THE GOOD STUFF!_


	4. Chapter 4

The day trudged on for SpongeBob CratchitPants until it was just about time to go home…which was late, late in the night. He finished his last piece of parchment, then walked up to Mr. Krabs.

"Um, sir?" he asked.

"What now, Mr. CratchitPants?" Mr. Krabs asked, "Can't ya see I'm busy?"

"Um, it's just that it's close to quitting time and I was wondering something about Christmas…" SpongeBob said, timidly.

"If it's about raises, the answer's still no." Mr. Krabs repeated.

"No, it's not that. I was just wondering if I could have the day off for tomorrow…"

Mr. Krabs froze on the spot, then dropped his quill. "A whole day?" he asked, "You know what I have to say about a whole day off?"

SpongeBob nodded slowly as he prepared himself.

"ARE YOU OUT OF YER BLOOMIN' MIND!?" he roared, "A whole day without reasonable work?!"

"Can I at least have time off to spend with my family?" SpongeBob asked, with the most pathetic look on his face, "At least half the day, PLEASE?" he begged.

Mr. Krabs' expression seemed to say, 'boy, this kid's really got it out for him…' He sighed. "Alright, boy, ya get half the day off. But as a result, you get half a day's pay."

"Yes, sir." SpongeBob said, then grabbed a hat, coat, and scarf off the hat rack. "And a Merry Christmas to you, sir!"

As SpongeBob shut the door, Mr. Krabs shook his head. "Humbug…" he muttered.

French Narrator: A few hours later…

Mr. Krabs walked out of his office that belonged to him and his late partner Jacob Squidly. He scuttled through the snow, the cold not bothering him one single bit: it was bitter and cheap…just like he was.

After a more than decent walk, Krabs reached the doorstep of his home. He began to unlock the door until he realized that his knocker was looking funny. It had slowly began to slowly mold into the shape of a head with a large nose and a cloth wrapped around the head.

"Krabs…" the knocker said in a ghostly voice.

"Aah!" Mr. Krabs yelped in shock as he covered his eyes with his claws. Then he took a small peek through his claw. "Jacob Squidly?" he asked in a scared tone.

But once he summoned the urge to look, the doorknocker had gone back to normal again. He shook his head and narrowed his eyes. "Barnacles…" he groaned. "This cold's doin' me no good."

A minute later, Krabs was in his room, clad in a bathrobe, and heating some kind of food in the fireplace. Taking a seat in a large chair, he took a spoonful of the stuff and tasted it. Sticking his tongue out, he tossed it over his chair, then leaned back and took a deep, long sigh. That is…until he heard a loud bell from a clock ring and an eerie voice calling his name.

"Ebenezer Krabs…" it said in a spooky voice.

The voice said the same thing, this time accompanied by multiple clanking noises as if someone were dragging heavy chains. THIS was enough to scare the wits out of Mr. Krabs.

"Flippin' fish fossils!" Mr. Krabs shouted. "Who in blazes is there?"

Then there came an ethereal glow through the door and a ghost slowly phased through. It was a glowing green octopus with a long nose, wearing a torn waistcoat, and was clasped in chains that were attached to cashboxes, keys, padlocks, and steel boxes. Around his head was wrapped a piece of cloth…as though trying to keep his mouth shut.

"Ebenezer Krabs…" he said as he approached Krabs. "It's me…you're old business partner…Jacob Squidly."

Krabs, shocked at the sight, just stared...

Squidly stopped for a while, then gave up on his scare tactic. "You don't believe in me, do you?" he asked, dully.

"Not really." Krabs answered, keeping a good eye on his former partner.

"Well, the charade's not over yet, I guess..." Squidly stated, then returned to his ghostly charade, "I am here to give you many things."

"Why ME?" Krabs asked in mild shock, "Why couldn't it have been Mr. CratchitPants?"

"It is because you walk the same path as myself. I chose not to share with the world in life, so now I must wander it in DEATH..." Squidly said, in a haunting kind of voice, "And witness what I MIGHT have shared."

"O-kay…but what's with the chains?" Krabs asked, pointing them out.

"THESE are the chains I forged in life, link-by-link, yard-by-yard, pound-by-pound..." Squidly answered, "You yourself have been making one…"

Krabs looked mystified, then went over to a dresser, pulled open a drawer, and pulled out the chain for his watch. "How'd YOU know about this?"

Squidward's face fell flat. "Dimwit…NOW, back to what I was saying…"

"This isn't some joke that a bunch of beggars are playin' to scare me out of me loot." Mr. Krabs interrupted as he began to smile and walk up to Squidward. "You were great back then, Jacob. You robbed from the poor and swindled from needy. You were amazing!"

"You're missing the point!" Squidward shouted as he pointed at a scared Krabs. "Listen to me, Ebenezer Krabs. If you don't repent your ways, one day you'll end up like yours truly; only with chains far heavier!"

Mr. Krabs yelped in fright again and whimpered, "This has to be some kind of prank now."

"I'm afraid my time is up." Squidward said as he began to back away.

"What?" Mr. Krabs yelled over to him. "That's all ye came here to say!"

"Not really." Squidward with a smirk, "Tonight, you will be haunted by three spirits, each more terrifying than the last. Expect the first when the bell tolls one, the second on the stroke of two, and the third…well, you know. Listen to them, do what they say, and then you will be spared my fate."

"Ghosts?" Mr. Krabs asked in panic. "Why does it have to be ghosts? Why can't it be something like snowmen?"

Squidward gave Mr. Krabs a flat look, then answered, "It's for dramatic emphasis."

"Oh, well, if you say so, Squidly…Squidly?" Krabs looked around. The ghost of Jacob Squidly was gone. "Oh, barnacles."

_So far, so good, wouldn't you say?_


	5. Chapter 5

Later that night, Mr. Krabs searched the room high and low for any signs of intrusion. Now he was clad in a nightgown and cap. Using a candle, he had to look everywhere, even under his bed…nothing. It was a wonder his bed didn't catch fire.

He shook the thought out of his heads. "Ghosts. Where do people get these ideas?" He clambered into bed, blew out his candle, emitted one last "humbug", and then went to sleep.

"ZZZZzzz…money, money, money…" Krabs said in his sleep, but suddenly the clock in his room tolled once, waking him. "Wha? What the barnacle?" Krabs stuttered, still half-asleep, "Oh, clock…back to countin' me money…"

Krabs could only count up to about fifty cents, though, because a bright light suddenly flashed through his bed curtains.

"Oh, barnacles, I hate it when ghosts are right." Krabs said to himself, now wide-awake.

"YEEEE-HAW!" a female southern voice suddenly shouted as the light suddenly shaped into a squirrel wearing a helmet with a crown on top, a white dress over a diving suit, and had wings on her back.

"What in blazes are you?" Mr. Krabs demanded to know.

"Why I'm the Ghost of Christmas Past." She answered with a smile, then held out her wallet and opened it, showing a badge that read "Ghost of Christmas Past".

"What?" Mr. Krabs asked in disbelief until he laughed. "You don't look like any ghost I laid me eyes on. You look more like some kind of rodent."

Sandy glared. "Oh really?" She cracked her knuckles for emphasis.

"Well…it's just to say ya look outta place here." Krabs said, scratching the back of his carapace.

"You're one to talk. You're cheaper than a chick in a barn." Then she turned to the window. "Well, we don't have time for that. It's time to get goin'."

"Fine, go." Mr. Krabs said as he began to lie down to go back to sleep. "I've got money to count."

Krabs had just closed his eyes when a lasso of sorts wrapped around him and squeezed tightly, causing his eyes to bulge. One second later, Sandy had pulled him out pulled him out of bed. He looked to see the ghost had caught him with said lasso.

"I'm takin ya on a little tour of your past." Sandy answered. Then she jumped out the window and was about to pull Krabs out, who refused to go.

"Wait, WAIT!" Mr. Krabs said as he looked out the window in fear. "In case you don't know, us mortals ain't capable of flyin'."

"That's what I'm here for." Sandy said as she flew out the window with Mr. Krabs hanging from her rope as he screamed in fear from flying over the town.

Mr. Krabs continued shrieking as he was dragged through the air. He had never flown, but had personally never wanted to find out…and the fact that it was a bumpy ride didn't help anything. Whilst flying through the air, he flew headlong into a rooftop, smashing through it. Sandy also flew low to a river and Mr. Krabs was basically water-skiing…until he tripped over a rock and was being dragged across the water's surface on his back.

While all this was happening, a few guys (incidental fish) had watched the whole thing happen. "Hey! Look at that dork!" one called.

"Let's throw stuff at 'im!" another suggested.

On a unanimous agreement, the guys began throwing stuff at Mr. Krabs and hitting him, earning an "OW" from each hit. The things thrown included rocks, a few pieces of wood, and even a lawn gnome.

"OW! Where'd you get that?!" Mr. Krabs called over.

By this time, Sandy noticed Mr. Krabs' current condition. "Whoops! Sorry…" She apologized just before reeling in the rope.

Mr. Krabs, covered in bumps and bruises, shook it all out, and saw a flash of light on the horizon. "Morning already?" Krabs asked.

"Nope." Sandy corrected, "That there is the past…"

"Oh boy…" Krabs stated, "Always expected time travel to be a little less…flashy…"

The two landed in a small town that was covered in snow and Mr. Krabs looked around curiously. "This is the past?" he questioned. "It don't look any different from today."

"You just ain't lookin' hard enough." Sandy replied as she pointed over to a building with a sign that said, "Poseidon Elementary".

Sandy dragged him inside the building with her rope, but turned to him on entering. "Now remember, Krabs. When y'all are here, no one can see or hear you."

"Yeah, yeah," Mr. Krabs scoffed. "So we won't need to be worrying about the time stream and all such nonsense."

Sandy glared and pointed, "Check over there, smarty-pants."

Mr. Krabs turned and gasped to see what looked like a younger version of himself, sitting at a school desk. "Hey," Mr. Krabs said with a chuckle. "That's me! Back in me younger days."

It was true; Krabs was now standing face-to-face with himself in his childhood years. Whilst every other fish in the sea was off to celebrate Christmas with their loved ones, Krabs was simply sitting at a desk, reading a good book...a book about business and money.

"So, d'ya know his past?" Sandy asked, folding her arms.

"Aye, as a matter of fact, I do." Krabs said, nostalgically, "Me dad hated me since he blamed me for mother's accident…and here I am at this school with no place else to go and no one to be with but me favorite money book."

"Well, y'all know that wasn't always the case…" Sandy said, then waved her hand, "Maybe another Christmastime would clear things up…"

In a waver of time, Mr. Krabs saw himself grow up before his very eyes from a boy to a young adult. Suddenly, a mermaid in a long coat came in and shook the sleeping crustacean awake. (Mindy)

"Ebenezer!" she called, waking the young crab.

"Who? What? When? Where? How? Why?" young Krabs asked as he snorted awake. Then he recognized the face, "Oh, it's you, Fan. Why're ya here?"

"To bring you home. HOME!" Fan answered, gleefully.

The whole experience was enough to actually shock Mr. Krabs. "Why it's…me sister…"

"Hold it right there, Ebenezer. There's more where that came from." Sandy warned.

"No, Fan, I'm afraid I can't go home…not with me dad still…" younger Krabs stated, but Fan cut him off.

"But daddy's much nicer than he used to be. He spoke so softly to me last night that I wasn't afraid to ask him if you could come home." Fan argued, "And he said YES."

"H-h-home?" Krabs said, lost for words, "Well, what're we waitin' for, Fan? Let's GO!"

As the two got into a seahorse-drawn carriage, Sandy decided to ask Mr. Krabs one thing.

"Quite an angelic lil' girl wasn't she?" she asked.

Mr. Krabs brushed a tear away from his eyestalk and sniffed. "She died a young woman..."

"Ah, but even then she gave you something: your nephew, Fred." Sandy added, "He looks a lot like her, doesn't he?"

Mr. Krabs ALMOST answered 'yes', but caught himself. "Wait a minute...no he doesn't." Krabs said, suspiciously.

"Uh, well, it's time for another trip elsewhere." Sandy said, covering something up, "Time to fast-forward a little more."

_A little more past and then things get interestin'. Stay tuned…_


	6. Chapter 6

Mr. Krabs and Sandy left the school and were now in a busy city where carts and coaches were passing through the streets. Here too was Christmas time in the evening with all the streets lighted up.

Sandy stopped and turned to a familiar warehouse. "Don't suppose you recognize this ol' place, Krabs."

"Recognize it?" Mr. Krabs questioned until he smiled proudly. "I used to apprentice here."

They went inside and saw a man with a black beard wearing pirate clothes, an eyepatch, and a hook for a hand. Mr. Krabs gasped in surprise and excitement.

"Great barrier reef!" Mr. Krabs yelled. "That's old Patchywig! He's alive again!" then he heard a squawk and saw a green parrot flying itself the desk Patchy was sitting at. "And that's his annoying know-it-all bird, Potty."

Potty landed on the desk and said, "Squawk! Patchywig, it's that time again."

Patchywig looked up at the bird, then gasped. He finished one last scrawl, then put away his quill and slammed the book shut. "Ah, yes! I almost forgot! Thanks, Potty!"

"Brawk! You're not welcome." the bird stated.

Standing from his seat, Patchywig cleared his throat to get every worker's attention. "If I may have your attention, crewmates, I'd like to make an important announcement."

Everyone in the room, even a much younger Krabs, looked up.

"For now, leave all work behind." Patchywig stated, "Now, clear things off, 'cuz it's time to celebrate!" Patchywig blew into a noisemaker.

(Pirate Crew film: HOORAY!)

Not a single worker was complaining as they cleared away books, tables, and chairs: anything that wasn't nailed down was cleared away to make a better dance floor. And in no time at all, fiddles were played along with cellos and virtually every stringed instrument known to man...at the time, anyway.

Whilst dancing merrily, old Patchywig looked up and noticed something. Mistletoe...

"A-ha! Now, WHO'S gonna kiss Patchywig?" the pirate asked, as though daring someone to do it.

"I WOULD!"

Patchywig turned around and was met with a VERY grotesque-looking fish-lady. Screaming in fright, Patchywig ran across the dance floor with the woman in hot pursuit, puckering her lips.

"HELP! HELP!" Patchy cried, "I take it back! Just stop chasin' me!"

"BRAWK!" Potty squawked, "Whaddya know, dance AND comedy..." The parrot then took a bite of popcorn, which had seemingly appeared from nowhere.

"Odd feller, ol' Patchywig was, huh?" Sandy asked.

"Whaddya mean, Ghost?" Krabs asked, offended, "He was the best man I worked with!"

"Well, he was happier than a kid on sugar high and he danced like a monkey on hot coals." Sandy pointed out, counting them out on her fingers.

Mr. Krabs stared at the ghost, then gave her a flat look. "Where do you come up with these things?" he asked.

The young Krabs, however, had an eye for...someone else. It was Poppy, Patchywig's daughter. She was a pretty young puffer fish with blonde hair, wearing a short green dress and a hat.

Mr. Krabs went over to her and smiled. "Ahoy, Poppy, fancy seeing you here."

"Of course I'm here." She responded with an odd look. "Patchywig's my father."

Mr. Krabs got a nervous look. "Oh, well…" but then he was interrupted when Poppy gave him a kiss, causing him to turn red (well, redder, anyway) and his eye stalks formed the shape of a heart.

"Mistletoe." She said, pointing up to the one right above them, and then dragged him off where they danced happily.

The real Mr. Krabs watched with Sandy, feeling happy as he watched what was going on.

"Argh, that's Poppy, me old lass. I loved her with all me heart." Then he began scratched his head. "I wonder what made me forget about her anyway."

"Why don't we all find out?" Sandy replied. "After all, my time's growin' short."

Then she and Mr. Krabs showed up at what appeared to be a park, where they a much older Mr. Krabs was seated on a bench, holding a gold coin in his claw as he was smiling and laughing greedily.

Mr. Krabs' expression suddenly turned soft and pained. "No…no…NOT THIS! C'mon, get me outta here, spirit!"

"Sorry. It's in my contract to make sure you see this." Sandy said, looking away and folding her arms.

A minute or so later, Poppy had shown up at the park, dressed in a mourning dress and looking VERY disturbed to see Mr. Krabs. "You've replaced me...haven't you?" she accused.

Mr. Krabs suddenly caught himself in what he was doing, then quickly pocketed the gold coin. "What're ya talkin' about, Poppy? I didn't..."

"Don't lie to me." Mrs. Puff said, voice hinting anger, "I saw you drooling over that coin in your pocket."

"Uh...it was me first one from me dad." Mr. Krabs tried explaining.

"No. I see what's happened now." Poppy said, sadly, "You have given up love for money, business, and your own personal gain. You were a completely different person back then and I would have loved you, but now you've given that life up."

"But Poppy..." Mr. Krabs argued, but Mrs. Puff cut him off.

"Don't 'but Poppy' me." Mrs. Puff said, pointing a finger at him, "You can go to whatever life you've chosen, but I will NOT be a part of it."

And with that Mrs. Puff stormed away, Mr. Krabs just staring after her, not knowing what to do.

The REAL Mr. Krabs stared. Had he REALLY been that stupid? The answer was 'no': he had been much more than stupid.

The old crustacean sniffed. "Me heart can't take much more of this, Spirit. Take me home!" The crab then burst into solid tears.

Sandy shook her head. "My time is up, Ebenezer. But remember that YOU forged these memories yourself."

_You'll be in for a pleasant surprise for who the Ghost of Christmas Present is played by..._


	7. Chapter 7

Mr. Krabs woke in his bed, then scanned the room for any sign of what had happened. "Was that all a dream?" he asked himself.

The crustacean would have gotten back to sleep when the clock struck two. Jacob Squidly had said that the next ghost would show up at this time, but so far nothing was showing up.

That is, until a booming voice said, "Ebenezer! Come in and know me better, man!"

Mr. Krabs fell out of bed in surprise and went into what would have been his living room to find it virtually unrecognizable. Bountiful food was stacked everywhere save one giant wrapped box with a ribbon.

"Uh...ghost?" Mr. Krabs asked, "Where are yeh?"

The giant box's top popped off to reveal a pink starfish inside it. (Patrick Star) "Here I am!" he said in a low-bass, not-too-quick voice.

"Who are you?" Krabs asked, scratching the back of his shelled head.

"Well, I'm the Ghost of Christmas Present!" the starfish answered, "Can't you tell by my costume?" He spoke of the giant box he was in.

"Uh...I think you mean 'present' as in the here and now. Not the gift." Mr. Krabs stated with a flat look, "And are yeh wearin' anything under that?"

Patrick looked down at the box, then realized his error. "Oops."

(Please stand by)

Patrick now stood in a green robe, had a Christmas wreath for a hat, and held a torch in his hand. "Is THIS better?"

"Yes. Much so." Krabs said with a nod.

"Okay, let me try again." He cleared his throat and then spoke in what was supposed to be a eerie voice, "I am the Ghost of Christmas Present…oooooh…"

"Yeah, yeah, I think we've established that already." Mr. Krabs said flatly.

Patrick absent-mindedly grabbed one of the turkey legs and took a large bite out of it. "Anyway," he said with a mouthful of food and looked down at a small slip of paper. "It says here I'm supposed to take you somewhere to look at something."

"Me go somewhere with you?" Mr. Krabs questioned. "After my experience with the last time-traveling ghost, I don't think I can bear anymore of that."

With the same dull look on his face, Patrick tossed the food aside and walked over to Mr. Krabs. "You're supposed to grab onto this." He said handing him part of his robe.

"What?" Mr. Krabs asked in confusion. "Am I supposed to compliment you on your garments or-"

But then he screamed when the all the food and his room began to disappear. He and Patrick then reappeared in the snowy city. Oddly enough, it was morning where it had once been night.

"Where are we?" Mr. Krabs asked.

"Why, it's Christmas Day!" Patrick said, jovially

"Wait a minute. We're just outside me room??" Mr. Krabs asked. "If we were gonna appear outside, we could've just used the front door."

"There's actually someone around here that you have to see." Patrick said, holding up a finger, "A man you've been really cheap to."

"What're you talkin' about?" Mr. Krabs asked. "I haven't been cheap to anyone!"

"You haven't?" Patrick asked as he scratched his head in confusion. "Then why am I supposed to show what's inside that house over there?" he pointed to a window of a house that was right next to him.

Out of curiosity, Mr. Krabs peeked inside the window to see a kitchen inside with someone at the stove. It was none other than SpongeBob, who was happily cooking something.

"It's Mr. CratchitPants." Mr. Krabs said in surprise as he watched SpongeBob turn around with a small can of food. "Who's getting those can scraps?"

Then he heard SpongeBob holler. "Oh, Gimpy Gary! It's Christmas dinner time!"

On hearing the words, a small snail with a bandaged-up shell slithered out. When Gimpy Gary, as SpongeBob called him, was at his master's feet, he looked up and meowed happily.

"Oh, Gary, what would Christmas be without you?" SpongeBob said, happily, as he stroked the snail's back. "Now, how about some dinner?"

"Meow." Gary said, in a 'yes' manner.

"Hold on a second, Spirit, what's with that little snail over there?" Mr. Krabs asked from the window.

Patrick joined him, then squinted at the snail, inspecting it every inch. "Hmm...he doesn't look too good." he concluded.

"Ya THINK?" Mr. Krabs asked.

SpongeBob took Gary to a seat, placed him on it, and dunked the can's insides onto Gary's bowl. SpongeBob had a simple meal consisting of some meat, some peas.

"Well, here's to Ebenezer Krabs." Mr. CratchitPants said, cheerfully.

"Meow?" Gary asked, as though saying 'what'.

"Give the crustacean some credit, Gary." SpongeBob scolded, "Without him, we wouldn't have this food. So, here's to Mr. Krabs and Christmas Day."

Much to Mr. Krabs' surprise, Gary spoke in a soft, British voice. "And God bless us, everyone."

And with that, Gary and SpongeBob helped themselves to dinner, happy as a sponge and snail could be.

"Spirit?" Mr. Krabs asked.

"Huh?" Patrick grunted. He probably wasn't paying attention.

"Will that there snail...?" Mr. Krabs asked. He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.

"Hm...it looks pretty bad." Patrick said, solemnly, "If he doesn't get the right doctor or food, I think he WILL..." Patrick drew a finger across his throat and made a grating sound. On seeing the horrified look on Mr. Krabs' face, Patrick shrugged. "Well, if he's gonna, he'd better do it and decrease the surplus population.

"That sounds like somethin' I said once!" Krabs accused.

"You did?" Patrick asked, "Maybe you didn't take consideration that this poor snail might be part of the…uh…other snails!"

"NO! NO! NOOOO!!!" Krabs screamed to the heavens.

_Next time, Krabs gets a look further into what he'_


	8. Chapter 8

"OW!" Patrick said, plugging his "ears". "Not so loud next time. And besides, we got another place to go to."

Mr. Krabs took Patrick's robe and both were instantly transported into another room that was made of rusty metal. "Now where are we?" Mr. Krabs asked the ghost. "This place looks like a dump."

Laughter was there to meet him and Krabs turned to see that the thing that had produced it was none other than his nephew, Fred Plankton, with a mobile computer screen that was Mr. Krabs niece-in-law and Plankton's wife, Karen. Also in the room were a bunch of other guests who were attending Plankton's Christmas party.

"And then he said Christmas was a humbug before he kicked me out." Plankton told Karen as he laughed.

"More shame for him, Fred." Karen responded.

"Oh no, Karen, he's actually a very comical guy in truth and not as unpleasant as most people think. I don't have anything to say against him." Plankton then realized what he was saying. "Okay, maybe I do."

"He's very rich, Fred." One guest reminded. "At least that's what you're always telling me."

"What on earth difference does that make, dear." Plankton objected. "It's not like it's gonna do him any good. He hasn't even thought of…" he began to snicker. "That he's ever gonna benefit us with it."

"I've already lost patience with that crab." Another guest grumbled.

"Me too, but I feel sorry for him and couldn't be angry with him if I tried. He doesn't even like us, not to mention he won't even dine with us." Plankton pointed out.

"Indeed." Karen responded. "He's missing out on a very good dinner."

Then Plankton shrugged, "Oh well, what're gonna do? Let's get back to the party."

Karen played music as the guests began to dance happily. Mr. Krabs watched everything as he enjoyed it as well as Patrick.

"Well, you ready to go?" Patrick asked.

"Are you kidding?" Mr. Krabs asked. "We just got here. We'll leave in about a half hour."

"Well, if you say so." Patrick said, "I heard there's going to be a GAME today!" With that, Patrick took a seat on a vacant armchair and gestured to another one just next to him. "Come on, Ebenezer. Join the fun..."

"Well, don't mind if I do." Mr. Krabs said, then took a seat next to Patrick, "I love games."

After a little music, Plankton gave a shrill whistle to get everyone's attention. "Alright, everybody! It's time for a good ol' fashioned game of 'Twenty Questions'."

Karen gasped. "We haven't played THAT in a while." she said, shocked.

"I thought I'd use it for the occasion." Plankton explained, "I simply think of somethin' and you try to guess it with 'yes or no' questions! BUT you only twenty tries...care to go?" he asked, raising a brow.

"Ooh, goodie!" Mr. Krabs and Patrick said together, on the edge of their seats.

"Sure thing, honey. I'll start off with...Is it a mineral?" Karen asked.

"No." Plankton shot down.

Then another guest asked, "Is it a living being?"

"Yes."

"Is it a fish?" guessed another guest.

"No."

"Is it a lobster?"

"No."

"Is it a crab?"

"Yes."

"Oh! Oh! Is it a male crab?"

"Yes."

"Does he live here?"

"Yes."

"Does he sing?"

"No."

"Is he old?"

"In a manner."

"Is he rich?"

"Plenty."

"Is he cheap with his money?"

"Yup."

Then Karen finally guessed, "Is it your Uncle Krabs?"

"You're correct, honey!" Plankton enthusiastically answered. "It's my good ol' Uncle Krabs." then all the other guests cheered.

Mr. Krabs glared and crossed his arms, "Hey, I ain't cheap."

"If it hadn't been for my Uncle Krabs, we wouldn't be having all this fun." Plankton said merrily. "Even if he is a cheap old tightwad like everyone thinks, we must all thank him for giving us so much merriment." He stood in front of a large glass and said, "Uncle Krabs."

The guests looked at each other and raised their glasses also, "Uncle Krabs. Bah! Humbug!"

Mr. Krabs sniffled as he smiled, "That is the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. If they could hear me or even acknowledge my presence, I would thank them- and even knock off a percent of their tax." Then he turned to see Patrick sleeping in the chair next to him.

Mr. Krabs snapped his fingers in Patrick's face and he woke in an instant. He looked around, then asked, "Did our team win?"

"Uh...yeah. Yeah, they won." Mr. Krabs covered up.

"HOORAY!" Patrick cheered, "Looks like I won a hundred bucks today!"

"What're ya talkin' about?" Mr. Krabs asked.

"I dunno." Patrick answered, then looked at his watch, "Oop. Our time's just about up, Krabs. Let's take this outside..."

Mr. Krabs took Patrick's robe, and the two were instantly transported to just outside the clock tower. "Where the barnacle are we?" Mr. Krabs asked, but wasn't met with Patrick's answer.

"Ebenezer Krabs, I'm afraid my time draws short." Patrick said, solemnly, "But yet another specter comes, this one the most frightening of all: the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come..." Suddenly, Patrick's tone changed to cheer. "So, have fun, Krabs."

And with that, Patrick vanished in a puff of smoke. The background changed very suddenly, as did the weather. Now, Krabs was just outside a church and the weather was horrible: rain and clouds instead of clear sky and snow.

_Time for the Grand Finale: Christmas Yet To Come!_


	9. Chapter 9

"S-S-Spirit?" Krabs asked, shivering, "Where are ya? C'mon! Don't leave me hangin'..."

"ENOUGH!!!" a voice roared from the skies.

With the sound of a low foghorn and the appearance of green mist, a ghost appeared in front of Krabs, clad in pirate getup and a tricorn hat. It unleashed an eerie laugh.

Mr. Krabs' eyes widened in fright. "Oh no! It's the Flyin' Dutchman!"

"Flyin' Dutchman?" the ghost asked, "NO! I be THE GHOST OF CHRISTMAS YET TO COME!"

"Funny, yeh don't look like one..." Krabs stated.

"Oh, sorry." the Dutchman apologized, "Out of costume..." He vanished in a puff of green smoke, then reappeared clad in a green cloak and hood. "Is this better?"

"Aye, I suppose." Mr. Krabs said, honestly, then swapped to fear, "Am I in the presence...of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come?"

"You bet your wits you are, Ebenezer." the Dutchman stated, "Now, my contract says I'm to show you the shadows of things that are to come..."

"O-okay...let's go." Mr. Krabs said, and the Dutchman promptly snapped his fingers. A flash of lightning later, they were in the middle of the streets.

Mr. Krabs' eyes shifted to a group of people consisting of Man-Ray, the Tattletale Strangler, and Bubble Bass. On Man-Ray bringing up a subject of someone's passing, the crab decided to investigate...

"I don't know that much only to know that he's dead." Manray said.

"When did he even die?" Bubble Bass asked.

"Last night I believe."

The Strangler was looking through a large box as he said, "It's about time. I thought he'd never go."

"What did he do with all his money anyway?" Bubble Bass wondered.

Manray answered, "He tried to leave it to himself in his will, but that of course can't be done." This caused them all to laugh. "It looks like it'll be a very cheap funeral. Of course who will go to it anyway?"

"I'll only go if lunch if being served." Bubble Bass mentioned.

They all laughed again and Manray said, "Well, I certainly don't wanna go, unless anyone else is going. I wasn't his friend anyway. Whenever I stopped to say hi, he always thought I wanted some of his money."

Mr. Krabs looked stunned by this until the Dutchman smirked at him, "Makes you feel dirty, doesn't it, Krabs?" then he pointed Mr. Krabs somewhere else. "Take a gander over there."

Mr. Krabs walked over to see two wealthy people he knew as Monty P. Moneybags and Howard Blandy.

"Allo." Moneybags said, passing Blandy.

"Hey." the fish said in reply. Not another word was exchanged between them.

"What's that gotta do with anything?" Krabs asked, scratching his head.

"Oh, sorry, I was pointing to the place right behind 'em." The Dutchman apologized, pointing his spindly finger elsewhere.

Mr. Krabs looked to where the specter was pointing, then saw a gringy old pawn shop...and three people were entering: Squilliam Fancyson, an undertaker, Pearl, a laundress, and Mama Krabs, a charwoman. The owner of this shop, the Dirty Bubble, was wearing a tattered old top hat and was looking over his customers.

"Well, well, well...what'd you bring Old Dirty today?" the Bubble asked.

"Handsome ones first, ladies." Squilliam boasted, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a few silver pieces. "Lookie what I got here, Dirty."

Squilliam put them on the Dirty Bubble's desk, said bubble looking them over quickly. "What are these, anyway? Can't have value if I don't know what it is."

"These are his coat buttons." Squilliam boasted, "Pure silver, too, as a matter of fact."

"Figures as much, that cheapskate." Dirty said, "I suppose they're worth a little."

Squilliam was baffled. "A LITTLE?!" he asked, "I picked these off the last coat he wore, so they should be worth more!"

"I say what they're worth, they're worth that." The Bubble stated, stubbornly, "NEXT."

"I got something more daring." Pearl boasted, "I got his bed curtains." She put a bundle onto the desk, showing off whatever she could.

"Wow..." The Bubble said, looking it over, "Still clean."

"Of course." Pearl said, "I cleaned 'em before he kicked it."

"Hmmm...not quite daring enough." Dirty said, earning a frown from Pearl. "NEXT."

"Well, I got something both these whippersnappers put together couldn't do." Mama Krabs said, holding out another bundle and placing it on the desk.

Bubble's eyes widened. "These...these...these are his blankets!" he said in shock, "Still warm, too!"

"I know. Too bad he ain't needin' it where he's going." Mama Krabs said, proudly.

"I couldn't agree with you more, lady." Bubble boasted, "Yes, you win this round. Maybe next time, you two."

"Hey! Those are my blankets and buttons!" Mr. Krabs noticed angrily before starting to run over to them. "Gimme! Gimme!"

But the Dutchman grabbed Mr. Krabs, groaned in annoyance, and pulled him back. "Not anymore they're not!" he yelled.

"What're you talkin' about, Spirit?" Mr. Krabs asked. "I'm still gonna be needin' them, ain't I?"

"What do you think?" the Dutchman asked with a smirk, leaving Krabs to ponder what he had meant by that.


	10. Chapter 10

In a flash, Krabs found himself in a dark, dirty room with an uncurtained bed sitting in the with a ragged sheet covering an unmoving figure on the bed. The Dutchman made a flame in his fist to light the room and Mr. Krabs was able to see it was an uncared for body under the blankets.

Mr. Krabs turned to the Dutchman and asked, "Who's the stiff that should be nappin' in the dirt?"

"Who do you think, smart guy?" the Dutchman asked, suavely.

Mr. Krabs made to reach up to the hem of the sheet and reveal the face of the untended corpse. His claw shook as sweat drenched his body…well, more so than usual. But in the end, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Scaredy-cat."

"What?" Krabs asked.

"Nothin'." The Dutchman said with a shrug.

"Please, spirit!" he begged as he fell to the floor. "Let's get outta this place already! I can't bear the sight of this horrible torture no longer! SHOW ME SOME COMPASSION FOR THIS MAN'S DEATH!!!"

The Dutchman just stared until he sighed and said, "Very well."

The Dutchman snapped his fingers and, in a flash of lightning, both arrived in the house that belonged to poor ol' SpongeBob CratchitPants. Mr. Krabs peered through a window to see his clerk sitting in front of a lit fireplace with his back turned. The sponge sniffed, then rubbed his eye, though Mr. Krabs couldn't see the reason why.

"Wow, Mr. CratchitPants seemed very depressed." Mr. Krabs noticed until he smiled. "Of course he is. It only makes since that the boy would feel sorry for the guy who got robbed."

"He ain't upset about you!" the Dutchman growled, annoyed.

"Well, who else is there to be upset about?" Krabs asked.

The Dutchman pointed, and Mr. Krabs soon saw why. His clerk had spoken.

"Don't you worry, my little buddy." They heard SpongeBob say as he sat in the same position. "I'll walk over there every Sunday to visit you. I'm sure you'll get a good view of the pond there. I know I'm sad, but I should be…glad, I suppose." It was obvious he was close to bursting out crying again. "At least it's green where you are now."

Then he turned away from the fireplace and broke into violent sobs. Now, Krabs could see that he was clutching a food bowl in his arms.

SpongeBob couldn't bear anymore; he broke into tears and put the bowl over the fireplace hearth and Mr. Krabs could read one word on its front. It chilled him to the core.

"Gary".

"Oh no…" Mr. Krabs said, worriedly, "Spirit...are these the events that COULD happen? Or are they the shadows of what WILL happen?"

"I'm afraid that's none of yer beeswax." The Dutchman said, folding his arms, "It's in my contract."

"But I've learned so much, gained so much, can't you just take me home?" Krabs pleaded, getting on his knees (if he had any).

The Dutchman snapped his fingers, the two reappearing in a graveyard just outside the gloomy church where it had all begun. Krabs looked around, then saw he was at the foot of a tombstone covered in snow.

"This is where our tale comes to a close." The Dutchman said, almost sadistically, "This here's as cheerful as you can get."

"Do I dare...?" Mr. Krabs asked, reaching out a claw for the tombstone, "Is the name of this feller the thing that has caused so much pleasure in seeing him pass?"

"You best bet it is." The Dutchman called, and he was right.

Mr. Krabs gently brushed the snow away from the tombstone. The two words he saw on it were exactly as he had feared.

"Ebenezer Krabs".

Krabs couldn't take anymore. "No...no..." he whirled to the Dutchman and grabbed the hem of his robe. "I'll live for Christmas: past, present, future, EVERYTHING. Just spare me..." he sobbed, "SPARE ME!!! SPARE ME SPARE ME SPARE MEEEE!!!"

--

In the real world, Eugene Krabs woke with a start, shouting "SPARE ME" at the top of his lungs.

_Yeah, short chapter, I know. But it's good and that's all that matters._


	11. Chapter 11

Eugene Krabs breathed heavily as he looked around to see he was back in his own bedroom. He was no longer the focus of a Dickens novel, just plain ol' Mr. Krabs.

Once he calmed down a good lot, he said, "A dream, it was all a dream."

Mr. Krabs got out of his bed and rushed over to his bedroom window to see the sun shining in Bikini Bottom with snow everywhere. "It really was all a dream." He said with a relieved smile. "I'm back home and I'm alive. But there's just one thing I don't get."

He rushed out of the room and saw Pearl walking by. "Pearl! He called. "Me loving daughter, Pearl. Tell me what day it is."

"What day do you think it is, Dad?" Pearl answered. "It's Christmas Day."

Mr. Krabs shouted in joy. "I really didn't miss it! There's still time to redeem my ways!"

"Dad!" Pearl shouted in annoyance. "You're acting weirder than usual. Don't embarrass me! (A/N: She keeps saying that, have you noticed?)"

"Hold on a sec, lass." Mr. Krabs then dug in his pocket and pulled out a couple of dollars. "Go buy yourself those fancy snow boots you be wantin', and then have a merry Christmas."

Pearl gasped in shock and smiled as she took the money. "Oh, thank you, Daddy." Then she gave him a kiss in appreciation.

"Now there's one more thing I gotta do." Mr. Krabs said as he scuttled out of his house as fast as his legs could carry him.

On his way to wherever he was going, Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy were standing outside, shivering, with the little money they collected in the jar.

"We already got as much as we can get." Barnacle Boy bitterly said to Mermaid Man. "So we might as well go home."

"This is home?" Mermaid Man asked.

"Gentlemen!" Mr. Krabs shouted as he approached them. "You still collectin' money for them poor folk, aren't ya?" the two just stared at him until Mr. Krabs pulled out a large sack with a dollar bill sign out of his pocket. "Well, here! Take it."

Mermaid Man held the large sack of money and struggled not to fall over. "Oh goody." He said in joy, "Bran flakes and prune juice for everyone!"

"You're really giving us all that?" Barnacle Boy asked in shock, "What's wrong with you this time?"

"Of course I am. I'm not sick and have nothin' in me head" Mr. Krabs said as he pulled out another sack and gave that to them as well. "And here's a little extra so they could celebrate New Years as well." Then he walked away. "See ya around, gents" Krabs then proceeded to laugh in his traditional pirate-y way.

Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy then smiled at each other for all the money they collected for the poor. They didn't know what the change in heart was all about, but hey, he changed, and that's all that matters.

--

Meanwhile, Squidward and SpongeBob were on their way to work with Gary sitting on top of SpongeBob's head as he tagged along with SpongeBob.

"Another day, another extra hours of relaxation gone." Squidward groaned as he slumped.

"Look on the bright side, Squidward." SpongeBob said, trying to sound positive. "At least we get to spend Christmas with each other."

"Don't remind me."

Once they reached the Krusty Krab, they were unprepared for when they walked through the front doors. The lights in the restaurant turn on and their eyes widen to see the restaurant all decorated for Christmas.

"Merry Christmas, boys!" Mr. Krabs shouted merrily. "You ain't seriously thinking of working on this special holiday are ya?"

"You mean I got out of bed for nothing?" Squidward asked still in shock.

Suddenly, a bunch of customers rushed in as they cheered to start partying, lighting the room up in an instant.

When Mr. Krabs approached the two, Squidward asked, "Mr. Krabs, are you feeling alright?"

"I'm better than ever, Mr. Squidward." Mr. Krabs answered cheerfully. "I did a lot of thinkin' last night and I've come to realize that Christmas isn't about all the money and profits. It's about celebratin' with all your friends and family. Now let's get to that celebratin'! You're free to go if need be!"

When he walked away, SpongeBob turned to Squidward happily. "It's a miracle, Squidward. Mr. Krabs isn't acting like a Scrooge or a Scrudge."

"For once in my life, SpongeBob, I agree with ya." Squidward admitted with a sigh, "I'm going HOME to enjoy myself." He then walked away humming to the tune 'The Christmas Song' (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire...).

"Meow?" Gary asked.

"I agree, Gary." SpongeBob said reaching up on his head to pat his snail, "Let's go. Can't keep Patrick and Sandy waiting, can we?"

"Meow, meow." Gary said in a matter that sounded like "no way".

_French Narrator: And Mr. Krabs was as good as his word. He did not force his employees to work on Christmas Day...but he did charge them an entire month's paycheck. Squidward was not pleased._

(Picture of Angry Squidward)

_French Narrator: And to Gary, who was never sick or dying to begin with, Krabs became like a second father. But that cheapskate gave up the rights to Patrick for sixty-two cents._

(Mr. Krabs holding Gary and handing a will to Patrick for a few coins)

_French Narrator: But to be put simple, SpongeBob and Squidward no longer worked on holidays, so all was well. And as Gimpy Gary would say it..._

"God bless us, everyone." Gary said in his British accent.

_French Narrator: This has been "SpongeBob's Christmas Coral", we hope you enjoyed it. Because I did not get a single role in the story. Hope you have better luck next year..._

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT! I enjoyed writing this fic as much as you enjoyed reading it.

D-Dude


End file.
